1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a pump for providing spring water by hand-worked pumping action, and more particularly to, a hand-worked spring water pump which provide a smooth pumping action, prolonged useful life, and reliability of the product.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, spring water which is used as drinking water is clearer than tap water and is good for the health. Spring water which is natural water is filled in a water container and provided to general houses.
Spring water put in the water container can be poured into a small vessel such as a cup by using an electric-powered or hand-worked pump so as for an user to easily drink.
The electric pump has a structure that a motor is rotated by electric power from a battery disposed in a housing and an impeller drivingly mounted on a lower end portion of the motor is rotated so that spring water is pumped up from the water container.
The hand-worked pump has a structure that a pumping member of bellows type is repeatedly compressed and expanded by the user's repeatedly pressing action, so that spring water is pumped up by sucking force and discharged from the water container. The hand-worked pump is widely used, because it does not need to change its consumptive articles such as the battery.
The hand-worked pump comprises: a housing sealably connected to a water container and having a sealing member for sealing the connected portion between the water container and the housing; a push cap exposed over the housing and pressed by the user's pressing action; a pressure member of bellows type located inside the housing and being compressed by the user's push cap pressing action and expanded by its elasticity; a connecting pipe having an upper end mounted at the pressure member and a lower end positioned in spring water in the water container, the connecting pipe drawing up spring water by sucking force generated due to difference in the inside air pressure of the water container; a discharging pipe for discharging spring water from the water container through the connecting pipe.
When the pressure member of bellows type exposed over the housing is pressed by the user's push cap pressing action, inside pressure of the water container which keeps equilibrium state with atmospheric pressure by a valve (shown in FIG. 1) is higher than atmospheric pressure because applied air pressure of the pressure member. Therefore, spring water in the water container is discharged through the connecting pipe and the discharging pipe to the outside of low pressure, so that the user can drink spring water from the water container through the discharging pipe.
When the user releases the user's hand from the push cap, the pressure member of bellows type is expanded in virtue of its restitutive force or elasticity of a spring. Air sucking force occurs inside the pressure member due to expansion of the pressure member, and the inside air pressure of the water container becomes low. Therefore, the inside air pressure of the water container is equal to the atmospheric pressure, so that spring water in the water container cannot be discharged any more.
The previously described pumping action is performed by sliding of the push cap exposed over the housing. However, the conventional hand-worked spring water pump does not have guiding means for smoothly sliding the push cap along the inner wall of the housing.
Therefore, the hand-worked pump has a disadvantage that a push cap does not slide in a straight line, but is inclined to one direction in the housing during pumping action.
The hand-worked pump has another disadvantage that the push cap is rotated or twisted, so that the pump cannot provide smooth pumping action.
The hand-worked pump has a further disadvantage that, because the push cap is inclined or twisted during pushing, pressure is dispersed, and the pump requires more pressure to discharge spring water outside, so that the user feels fatigue.
The hand-worked pump has a still further disadvantage that the push cap is contacted with other components of the pump due to forced sliding and inclination of the push cap, so that the contacted portion of the components made of synthetic resin material are crushed.
The hand-worked pump has a still further disadvantage that the crushed fragments are caught between the inner wall of the housing and the push cap to restrain sliding action of the push cap or entered into the water container to pollute spring water in the water container.